RESIDENTS are confused and angry after a power cable was damaged on Thursday, leaving them without electricity overnight.

As well as having to cope without power since 3pm Thursday, householders in Silver Birch Close off Sheerwater Road, West Byfleet, are concerned about the lack of the communication from supplier EDF energy.

The power was eventually restored at 2.15pm on Friday.

Carmella Tompkins lives in Silver Birch Close. She said: “I kept trying to get in touch with my electricity company but had to leave messages.

“This morning (Friday) it told me that a building company had accidentally cut the power lines, but my neighbours were told different things.

“The company told me a report was made at 10.20am this morning, so we will only be compensated from then. They know a cable had been cut but had no engineer available to fix it, so we were left without power. The whole thing is a farce.”

A statement from EDF Energy, said: “At about 3pm yesterday, EDF Energy Networks engineers had to isolate power supplies to 30 customers in the Silver Birch Close area of West Byfleet after one of our underground electricity cables was damaged by a third party.

“Our engineers worked through the evening and into the early hours but had to abandon the works because passing traffic was not adhering to warning signals. Their speed made it unsafe for our engineers to carry on working and our staff were forced to leave at about 1.15am.

“Worked resumed today at about 8am after an emergency traffic management system was installed to make it safe for our engineers to carry out their repairs.”

Lock Road resident Andrew Zimbler said: “There have been so many conflicting stories as to what has happened, and in the end it’s the residents who suffer.

“There has been a total lack of communication, and everyone is passing the buck.”

Road works in Sheerwater Road, where the problem is alleged to have started, are expected to continue until mid-March.